Recent viewings

[lester1/2jr]

I eventually found that out. It was a good movie but I wouldn't hang my hat on some of the logic and motives and so forth

[Jack]

Hellhole (1985) - kind of a women in prison flick with a cute babe being put in a mental institution because she's got amnesia (her father is a politician and she knows the whereabouts of documents that would end his career, so he has her committed...or something like that). The evil warden woman is conducting experiments on some of the more unruly patients - will the kind doctor help the cute babe escape before she too gets sent to the hellhole? This was sort of okay I guess. Tons of nudity and the pace finally picked up a bit at the end. Pretty stupid and cheap overall though. 2.5/5.

[claws]

The Quiet Ones (2014)

England, 1974: three students and a professor are documenting experiments on a teenage girl with mental problems who is most likely possessed by evil forces. As the experiments get more intense, personal problems surface causing all sorts of disturbing drama between everyone involved.
Psychological horror 'based on true events.' While not great I thought it was better than its reputation. Nice 1970s setting, soundtrack and fashion though they could have toned down the jump scares a bit. I'll rate this a very good 3/5.

[Jack]

Just Before Dawn (1981) - some "young" people (including one guy with an obvious comb-over) go camping in the woods and get attacked by a couple of fat retarded guys. I didn't care for this much, everything about it was stupid - from the killer climbing on the roof of the RV and hanging down and looking in the windows, which nobody noticed, to the way they've all got whistles to use if they get in trouble, and one guy's desperately blowing his whistle as the killer is after him, and everybody ignores it. Or the way they've got a rope bridge across a river and the killer cuts it down and then manages to make it across the river faster than the kids were able to cross the bridge - why build the stupid thing if you can cross the river quicker without it? And at least 50 other little details like that. I don't know, maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. All would have been forgiven if the characters were a lot more fun and interesting, but they weren't and their reactions to everything didn't ring true. There was some gorgeous forest scenery in it; too bad it wasn't in a better movie. 2/5.

[Rev. Powell]

FUTURAMA: BENDER'S GAME (2008): Bender becomes obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons, and an accident involving dark matter traps the crew inside his fantasy world. A step down from the two previous Futurama direct-to-video entries, with a poorly motivated, out-of-canon plot that's merely an excuse for a lazy "Lord of the Rings" parody. 2.5/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Warriors" (1979)

http://youtu.be/RhIRuAsiFQQ
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Believe it or not, this was my first time ever seeing Walter Hill's cult classic street-gang flick. After a NYC gang summit goes wrong, a Coney Island crew must make their way back to their home turf in Brooklyn from the Bronx, with every other gang in the city gunning for them. Great stuff, shot in a New York that was a hell of a lot scarier and dirtier than it is today.

[lester1/2jr]

Flu Birds (2008) - Syfy cashing in on the bird flu epidemic with their own slant: the birds a re huge pterodactyl ish things and you get the flu like right away. "comic relief white rapper idiot" and some other 30 y/o kids on an Outward Bound program get attacked by the birdies. It's just their bad luck that the birds chose this particular forest to begin their siege of the US I guess.

The lead tough guy seems like more of an underwear model than a troubled teen. The girls are nondescript and you even get to see a tiny bit of their cleavage ooh wow. As topical as it was, the bottom line is it's one of those Syfy movies that never really coalesces into anything that takes you anywhere or is even at all distinct. more of a b movie acting class than anything else.

1.5 /5

[indianasmith]

The last 2 nights I watched:

THE LAKE ON CLINTON ROAD (2015) - a zero budget ghost story that delivered a few decent scares despite horrible acting and crappy production and sound editing.  Six twentysomethings go to stay at a lake house on a remote road that turns out to be haunted.  Lots of drinking, partying, and gratuitous exercising.  I'll be generous and give it 2.5/5.

Then tonight I watched LAKE PLACID VS. ANACONDA.  A lame-o Asylum sequel that mixes the two series together with predictably terrible CGI.  Now, even the first ANACONDA was a stinker, but I remember the first LAKE PLACID as a good movie.  Sad to see the franchise fallen on such hard times.  2/5

[JaseSF]

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013): We learn some of the origins behind Barry Allen becoming the Flash. This leads us into a story in which Allen wakes up in an altered present facing an oncoming apocalypse the root cause of which are the rise of evil despots who turn out to be shockingly enough Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Allen searches out his former allies in the Justice League but finds them radically changed as well but with the help of a reluctant gun-toting Batman, can Barry recreate the experiment that made him the Flash and work with him and other heroes in this altered timeline to somehow stop this oncoming apocalypse? Also causing him problems is the possible involvement of Flash's arch-enemy the Reverse-Flash Professor Zoom.

Well I have to say this story keeps you glued to the screen but it is also quite shocking and is definitely not aimed at a kiddie audience. There's death here on a massive scale, decapitation, mutilation, and child slayings. Former heroes here are changed to evil villains and some former villains are now heroes. It's fascinating to watch unfold and the basic mystery and root cause of it all proves rather intriguing too. That said, it's oppressively dark and disturbing at times and makes me long a bit for the more innocent and fun DC comic stories of the past. Also I didn't like this style of animation as much as in previous films, characters look a bit too muscular and out of proportion.  Still it's a very entertaining movie but I am a bit tired of these relentlessly dark stories we get nowadays. Still it deserves a **** out of ***** stars rating IMO.

Rewind This! (2013): Another documentary examining the rise and fall in popularity of the VHS video format. What's intriguing with this one is you hear not only from varied VHS collectors but also from people in the film and video production industry. Lots of footage is also included from more obscure VHS video releases which prove highly entertaining as does much of the commentary given by those interviewed for this film (including the likes of Lloyd Kaufman, Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, Mike Vraney, Charles Band, Don May Jr., Frank Henenlotter (of Basket Case fame), Mamoru Oshii, Shôko Nakahara, David Gregory, Roy Frumkes, Atom Egoyan, etc.). An enjoyable movie that I wished was a bit longer and held a few more surprises. That said, there's lot of footage from porn, gore films, etc. so it`s not a film to watch with the kiddies. You do get a sense of what made video renting so mega-popular at one time and learn that VHS's time on top was essentially a very long one. You get a sense of the fun and enjoyment of VHS movie covers and artwork, even the bad covers. Very enjoyable and nostalgic though for many this will no doubt prove. **** out of ***** stars.

Lady of Burlesque (1943): A former opera house has become popular again due to the rise in popularity of burlesque dance routines featuring lovely, curvy women. The hot new top attraction on the scene is sassy and spirited Dixie Daisy (Barbara Stanwyck) who quickly gains the romantic attention of comic clown Biff Brannigan (Michael O'Shea). Causing some drama behind the scenes however is jealous songstress Lolita La Verne (Victoria Faust) who wants top billing for herself and the return of former lead The Princess Nirvena (Stephanie Bachelor) who also wants top spot. Things take another turn when some of Dixie's rivals begin turning up dead, apparently strangled by a G-string. Soon this becomes a whodunnit murder mystery with a load of potential suspects.

This movie is surprisingly fast-paced, enjoyable, and fun. There's snappy dialogue, the routines are actually kind of fun and amusing  and the murder mystery keeps things interesting. That said, it's a little too obvious some of the suspects clearly aren't guilty. The film also feels a tad dated and may seem rather tame to many (if it hadn't been tame at the time it was made, it probably wouldn't have been made at all). Still a satisfying watch for a boring afternoon type of movie, I really like this one. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

Follow Me, Boys! (1966): Lem Siddons (Fred MacMurray) is part of a traveling jazz band with dreams of becoming a lawyer who on impulse decides one day to settle down in the small town of Hickory which his band is visiting. He takes a job working in the local store as a clerk but also has his eye on the lovely Miss Downing (Vera Miles) who works across the street at the local bank. To further involve himself in the town, Lem decides to volunteer to lead the local boy scout troop, something which he finds very fulfilling and rewarding. Lem helps many boys in the town but soon focuses his attention on helping a confused young boy named Whitey (Kurt Russell), the son of the town drunk. This story focuses on Lem Siddons and his many trials and tribulations throughout his life in Hickory.

While this film feels a tad overlong and seems to jump all over the place in its focus, it nevertheless remains enjoyable viewing mostly for the likable performance MacMurray gives as Siddons. Also it really seems at times to celebrate the boy scouts and the great life lessons one can learn from being a part of that. There's some things that feel dated, seem unbelievable or a wild stretch yet this film nevertheless remains amusing throughout. Kurt Russell in also really good in his young role, probably one of the more challenging roles he had during his young Disney film days. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

101 Dalmatians (1961): Classic Disney animated film in which Dalmatian dogs Pongo (voiced by Rod Taylor) and Perdita (voiced by Cate Bauer) search for their dognapped litter of 15 young puppies. We as an audience known they've fallen into the hands, along with 84 other young puppies, of the evil Cruella De Vil (voiced by Betty Lou Gerson) and her minions Jasper and Horace. Cruella has intentions of turning the young puppies into fur coats.   Can Pongo and Perdita with the help of the Twilight Bark rescue them before it's too late.

Thoroughly enjoyable classic Disney film features adorable and incredibly sympathetic leads, likable characters helping said leads throughout, a detestable villain who seems larger than life, bumbling henchmen providing comedy relief, comedy jingles, and more.
The only real flaw here is it never seems quite believable anyone could look after so many dogs. Overlooking that, this one is classic Disney all the way. Cruella De Vil is one of Disney's greatest villains IMO which is part of why this works so very well. **** out of ***** stars.

Frozen (2010): At Mount Holliston, a ski resort, a trio of snowboarders/skiers find themselves unexpectedly stranded on a ski chairlift due to miscommunication between ski-lift operators on the ground. With the resort closed for nearly a week, they have to make challenging life and death decisions - risk freezing to death on the chairlift or somehow find their way to the ground far below in search of help. Making things even more challenging, a pack of vicious hungry wolves is waiting for them on the ground.

While this has some problems, it does in essence present us as viewers with a terrifying situation for our lead protagonists and wisely has us get to know the characters somewhat so we actually care a bit with regards to what happens to them. There are some groan inducing scenes here which will not be for the weak of heart particularly following a character actually jumping off the ski-lift. I didn't find everything here believable and honestly they make a few goofs here and there with continuity particularly with regards to characters having parts frozen and frostbitten. In some ways, this is like Open Water only on a ski-lift. It has some terrifying moments and a seemingly all too disturbingly plausible situation. It's not always convincing though and has some scenes that are hard to look at and endure (which no doubt was the intention). Interesting premise but I think in real life people would have been far more likely to stay put. ***1/4 out of ***** stars.

[Rev. Powell]

JAUJA (2014): A colonial Danish surveyor (Viggo Mortensen) tracks his missing daughter into the wilderness. The scenery is beautiful, but the plot is more desolate than the Argentinian landscape---there's at least half an hour of Viggo hiking in silence---and the strange ending will annoy many. 2/5.

[lester1/2jr]

Human Nature (2001) - On the one hand this was the exact type of unfunny movie you'd expect politically correct Hollywood types like Tim Robbins and Patricia Arquette to make. I seldom laugh out loud at movies and I certainly didn't dhere. At the same time, despite not being very funny  it wasn't bad. As a bonus, Patricia Arquette is often in various states of undress and theres another actress who is really hot. I'd call it a "mixed bag" what do you think could that make it as an expression? I should copyright it.

A scientist who is obsessed with table manners finds a guy who lives like an ape in the woods. along with first and foremost table manners he's determined to teach the ape guy to live like a person. Patricia Arquette is the scientists girlfriend and she has a special connection to the ape guy because she suffers from being excessively hairy. In one of the cruelest moments in film history she is shown nude but covered in gross hair in the woods.

The whole thing should have been more slapstick but no one involved had that kind of humility. Imagine Three's Company done by NPR hosts or something. The story itself is passively engaging though. It begins with the ape guy testifying in front of congress so you wonder how he got there and so forth. It wasa good use in general of that style where most of the movie is actually a flashback and you know that patricia Arquette ends up spending her life in prison.

very random, certainly not essential. another one down.
3/5

[Jack]

Demon (2013) - some creature is loose in the Florida everglades and a cute FBI agent teams up with the local yokel cops to track it down. This is from Brain Damage Films, so...yeah. Half the dialogue is inaudible because it's recorded so poorly. The camerawork and editing are as amateurish as it's possible to get. The lead actress wasn't too terrible but everybody else was. Not to give the ending away, but it's a close-up of the FBI babe shooting her gun - cut to "two weeks later". WTF? Did she hit it? Is it dead? Oh well, who cares. I guess there's some unintentional humor and it moves along quickly enough. 2/5.

The Intruder Within (1981) - sort of an Alien ripoff set on an oil rig. Chad Everett stars. Between the laid-back, uninteresting characters and the really slow pace, it just kind of languished there on the screen. The creature wasn't too bad for an early '80s made-for-TV  thing. Eh, it was a masterpiece compared to Demon; 3/5.

[JaseSF]

Blonde Ice (1948): Claire Cummings Hanneman (Leslie Brooks), a society reporter obsessed with status and money, strings along several men at once marrying to gain fame and money. However when her married beaus begin turning up dead, might she be to blame?

This film noir seems somewhat unique as Brooks' character comes across as truly psychotic, a cold and calculating heartless wench who seemingly has no empathy for others. Nevertheless many men fall under her coldly beautiful charms particularly fellow reporter Les Burns (Robert Paige) whose love for Claire seems to blind him as to her true nature. Claire's focus however remains more on wealthy and influential men and what they can provide, something Les never can. Brooks gives a memorable performance in this one although it isn't always fully convincing. There's some good supporting character actors involved with this one including James Griffith as Al, another reporter/former Claire love interest, Michael Whalen as political candidate Stanley Mason, John Holland as Claire's first husband Carl Hanneman, David Leonard as Mason's close psychiatrist friend Dr. Kippinger and Walter Sande as editor in chief Hack Doyle. Definitely a quintessential film for fans of films about femme fatales. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

Too Late for Tears (1949): One night on a lonely highway, Jane and Alan Palmer suddenly find a mysterious bag filled with money thrown into their passing vehicle. Alan (Arthur Kennedy) wants to do the right thing and turn the money over to the police but his wife Jane (Lizabeth Scott) is determined to hold on to the money and seemingly will go to shocking lengths to hang on to it. Danny Fuller (Don Duryea), the shady, sleazy character who the money was meant for however has their license number and tracks them down . Jane uses her cunning and femme fatale ways to keep him off track with regards to the money and ultimately her great desire to hold on to the money at any cost and by any means leads her down a murderous path.

Scott plays another cold and unfeeling femme fatale in this film. Her performance proves surprisingly good for the most part although her character sometimes seems a little too friendly and not falsely so. The dialogue in this one is a bit cringe inducing at times and is very dated nowadays and this at times leans towards melodrama. Still Duryea gives a good wise-cracking performance in a character not atypical for him but things really pick up here with the arrival of Don DeFore's sympathetic Don Blake character who really riles up and unsettles Scott's cold and calculated Jane. His romance with Alan's sister Kathy (Kristine Miller) also provides a lighter element to this otherwise dark and dreary tale. Has some great moments but is never quite the classic it perhaps could have become. Another film I'd recommend to fans of film noir style femme fatales. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[Alex]

Infestation A slacker who has just been fired from his telesales job ends up leading a group of survivors when alien bugs invade the world. Can Cooper lead everyone to safety and win his overbearing fathers approval while keeping himself and his love interest alive? An enjoyable and undemanding horror comedy.

[Jack]

Moonstalker (1989) - some kids go camping and are stalked by an axe murderer. This wasn't all that terrible, the characters had some personality, the girls were cute, and there was a wee bit of atmosphere. I don't know if I was watching an edited version or what, but there were no boobs, and there were some scenes that certainly should have had boobs It never managed to generate any suspense unfortunately, which is kind of important in a horror movie. 2.5/5.